The realities of inequality are downright spooky.
The proof is in the statistics -- hard facts shed light on various inequalities and their real-life impacts, and show how they deserve attention and action every day. But social disparities are gaining special notice Friday, thanks to an innovative hashtag building on the momentum of the scary Halloween spirit.
#ScaryStats, created through a collaboration among four women’s equality organizations, is helping to get people talking about the horrifying truths facing marginalized communities.
Tweets using the hashtag have so far covered a wide range of alarming issues, including the school-to-prison pipeline, reproductive health and disability rights.
“People are talking about ghouls and goblins,” Morgan Meneses-Sheets, president of nonprofit consulting firm Steadfast Strategies and organizer of #ScaryStats, told Mashable. “Well, let’s talk about the horrifying things that are happening right now and how we can make a difference.”
Most teens get sexual health info online, but 46% of contraceptive facts and 35% of facts on abortion online are inaccurate .#scarystats— YTH (@YTHorg) October 30, 2015
1 in 9 black children have had a parent behind bars #scarystats # trauma #wombtoprisonpipeline— Kim Baker (@DrKimJay) October 30, 2015
If SCOTUS doesn't intervene, Texas could be left w/ as few as 10 abortion clinics to serve 5.4 million women of reproductive age #scarystats— CenterforReproRights (@ReproRights) October 30, 2015
These conversations are well-timed even without the spooky season. Oct. 30 is also World Statistics Day, which stresses the importance of improving data collection to better lives globally through statistics-informed policy.
Focusing on statistics when talking about inequality is necessary -- comprehensive data helps direct impactful attention to where it is most needed.
TN is one of 32 states where a person can be arrested based on their HIV status. #scarystats— HealthyandFreeTN (@HealthyFreeTN) October 30, 2015
Firearm-related death rate among U.S. children nearly 12x higher than children in 25 other countries combined. #scarystats #gunviolence— Morgan MenesesSheets (@morgmeneshets) October 30, 2015
1/3 of female homicide victims in the US are killed by an intimate male partner. #domesticviolence #scarystats— Stronger Generations (@StrongerGen) October 30, 2015
But Meneses-Sheets said the goal of #ScaryStats is to move beyond these statistics, using the initial shock of everyday inequalities as a call to action. These issues, after all, matter every day -- not just today.
“We hope people will learn something that they didn’t already know,” she said. “And that they will not just agree that it’s scary, but that they will agree something needs to be done.”
More than 30% of African Americans and 40% of Latinos are in low wage jobs. #scarystats #raisethewage— SisterSong (@SisterSong_WOC) October 30, 2015
Federal government deports nearly 400k immigrants each year tearing families and communities apart @NAPAWF #scarystats #immigrationreform— Nimra Chowdhry (@nimrachowdhry) October 30, 2015
It's #LatinaEqualPayDay - it takes until 10/30 for Latinas to earn what white men earned in 2014. We need to end the wage gap! #scarystats— COLOR (@colorlatina) October 30, 2015
To take action after reading through some #ScaryStats, check out the four collaborating organizations helping the conversation happen:
COLOR is a Latina-led organization in Colorado, describing itself as a sisterhood working to achieve reproductive justice through organizing, advocacy and empowerment. To learn more about the work COLOR does and how to support its efforts, visit here.
Healthy and Free Tennessee is an organization promoting sexual health and reproductive freedom through advocating for progressive policy and comprehensive education. Visit the organization’s website to learn more about how it's serving families in Tennessee.
SisterSong is a collective of human rights organizations working to “strengthen and amplify the collective voices of indigenous women and women of color” based out of the South. The collective especially focuses on the issue of reproductive justice. Learn more about its efforts here.
MomsRising is a national grassroots organization working to address critical issues facing mothers and families through policy reform and education. The group focuses on several issues facing women and families today, including immigration, work benefits and health care access. To learn more about their activism and support its efforts, visit its website here.